Pintxos Of Grilled Shrimp, Mushroom, Leek And Romesco

Buy pumpkin seeds already toasted or toast in a 350°F oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Romesco sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator. Use wild leeks if you can find them, otherwise green onions are fine.

Ingredients

1 500 mL jar roasted red peppers (ideally piquillo), drained

1 1/2 cups chopped Spanish onion

3/4 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted

5 cloves garlic

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tbsp tomato paste

5 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tbsp paprika

2 tbsp sherry vinegar

Salt

1 lb. large shelled shrimp (16–20)

200 g miatake or shiitake mushrooms, torn into pieces

8 wild leeks or green onions

2 tbsp olive oil

16 slices rustic baguette

DirectionsYield: Serves 8 to 10

Make Romesco Sauce

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lay roasted red peppers on a rack placed on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, or until they look slightly wrinkled. Remove from oven and set aside.

In food processor, combine onion, pumpkin seeds and garlic, and process until fine but still chunky.

Heat olive oil in medium frying pan over medium-low heat. Add onion mixture and cook for 3 minutes, or until soft and translucent. Add tomato paste, cayenne pepper and paprika, and cook for 5 minutes or until flavors have combined.

Scrape onion mixture into food processor, add red peppers and sherry vinegar, and purée. Season with salt, to taste, and loosen with more olive oil if needed (it should be the consistency of pesto).

Grill Pintxos

Preheat grill to medium-high. Toss shrimp, mushrooms and wild leeks with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes, turning until shrimp are pink and just cooked through, and mushrooms and leeks are lightly charred and softened. Set aside.

Slather baguette slices with romesco sauce. Using small wooden skewers, combine one shrimp and a piece each of wild leek and mushroom. Spear skewers into prepared bread slices and serve.